definitions

inviting

[ in-vahy-ting ]
/ ɪnˈvaɪ tɪŋ /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR inviting ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

attractive, alluring, or tempting: an inviting offer.

RELATED CONTENT

Should You Say “Between You And I” Or “Between You And Me”?Why are there different ways of saying the same thing? Grammar is a combination of rules and conventions. What’s the difference? Well, the rules are things like a verb must agree with its subject. By that rule, “he say” is incorrect. Then there are conventions, which are uses of language that are common enough that even though they break the “rules” they become “correct” simply …
READ MORE
‘Tis The Season For Explaining Common Holiday PhrasesRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

enticing, intriguing, seductive, welcoming, fascinating, persuasive, encouraging, charming, engaging, appealing, attractive, tempting, delightful, pleasing, beguiling, warm, open, bewitching, winning, agreeable

Nearby words

invitation, invitational, invitatory, invite, invitee, inviting, invocate, invocation, invocative, invoice, invoke

Origin of inviting

First recorded in 1580–90; invite + -ing2
Related formsin·vit·ing·ly, adverbin·vit·ing·ness, noun

Definition for inviting (2 of 2)

invite

[ verb in-vahyt; noun in-vahyt ]
/ verb ɪnˈvaɪt; noun ˈɪn vaɪt /

verb (used with object), in·vit·ed, in·vit·ing.

verb (used without object), in·vit·ed, in·vit·ing.

to give invitation; offer attractions or allurements.

noun

Informal. an invitation.

Origin of invite

First recorded in 1525–35, invite is from the Latin word invītāre
Related forms

Synonym study

1. See call.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for inviting

British Dictionary definitions for inviting (1 of 2)

inviting

/ (ɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ) /

adjective

tempting; alluring; attractive
Derived Formsinvitingly, adverbinvitingness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for inviting (2 of 2)

invite

verb (ɪnˈvaɪt) (tr)

to ask (a person or persons) in a friendly or polite way (to do something, attend an event, etc)he invited them to dinner
to make a request for, esp publicly or formallyto invite applications
to bring on or provoke; give occasion foryou invite disaster by your actions
to welcome or tempt

noun (ˈɪnvaɪt)

an informal word for invitation
Derived Formsinviter, noun

Word Origin for invite

C16: from Latin invītāre to invite, entertain, from in- ² + -vītāre, probably related to Greek hiesthai to be desirous of
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012